In 2013, the FCC adopted rules requiring broadcasters to provide an aural representation of visual, non-textual emergency information (such as radar maps or other graphics) on the secondary audio stream of video broadcasts. These rules were to go into effect in May 2015, but the FCC has since waived these rules twice, with the most recent waiver set to expire on May 26, 2018. The American Council of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and the National Association of Broadcasters have filed a joint petition requesting that the FCC grant an additional five-year extension of the waiver. The FCC’s Media Bureau has released a Public Notice seeking comment on this petition.

For more information, please contact Maria Mullarkey, Maria.Mullarkey@fcc.gov or (202) 418-2120. For those using videophones and fluent in American Sign Language, you may call the ASL Consumer Support Line at 844‐432‐2275.